What Lies Beyond
by PhaseTwitch
Summary: After the Tournament of Power, Vegeta must answer some tough questions about himself, and his legacy.


_Beep_

 _Beep beep_

 _*click*_

That's all the sleep I got? Prince Vegeta scratched his head. He was sure that he'd get much more the day after the tournament. After all that had been the most intense forty-five minutes of fighting he had ever endured. Surely his Saiyan genetics would allow for days of non-stop sleep for a full recovery. The other possibility were his thoughts.

After the tournament had ended Kakarot had wished the other universes back to life. The wish itself came to the shock of no one, but what had come after did. Once every universe was back, Kakarot had asked the dragon about how to find what lies beyond absolute power. Something that Jiren had been constantly asking, and more importantly it was something that the Prince of all Saiyans had been trying to conquer.

The dragon had told Kakarot and everyone else that in order for them to find that which lies beyond strength you must look inward. That one phrase had kept Vegeta up throughout the night. He had not had a nightmarish experience since Trunks had first came from the future and revealed himself to be a Super Saiyan.

The Prince had scoffed at the dragon's words, but he could not escape them. He had been clawing his way towards his current power ever since he clashed with the low-class warrior all of those years ago. Ever since then his rival had always been one step ahead. Vegeta slammed his fist against the bed, causing a slight stir on the other side.

"Is it about what the dragon said?" Bulma said, sitting upright.

"How can that damned bastard think that I don't know who I am? I am a warrior who's destined to be the strongest being in the multiverse! That creature may be omnipotent, but he doesn't know my own feelings!" The Prince clinched fists. It was his destiny to be stronger than Kakrot. He should have been the one to defeat Jiren and get the Super Dragon Balls.

"Maybe you haven't found who you really are." Bulma placed an arm across her husbands' chest. "You've been chasing Goku for all of these years it's about time you found your own path away from him."

"I have not known anything other than being stronger than Kakrot. It is what keeps my drive going to become stronger. If I gave that up I don't know what I would become."

"There's so much more to you than being a fighter babe." She kissed him. "You are my husband and more importantly the father of our two children. That's something that can never be taken away from you."

"Those things are important yes, but did I not fail in those efforts? I failed in raising Trunks when he was born. I failed when I let my mind and body be taken over by that bastard Babidi."

"Yes you did fail, but in the end you came through to do the right thing in the end by blowing up Buu. People make mistakes Geets." She went in for another kiss, but Vegeta denied his wife. He did not want her to see his eyes.

A long silence swept over the both of them. Finally, Vegeta spoke up.

"I think I am going to take a visit to Sadala."

"I think that sounds like a great idea!" Bulma said. "I can pack up a few things and- "

"Alone. I want to visit Sadala alone." Vegeta interrupted her. "I appreciate the offer." He looked back. His wife's face was motionless.

"What would I be too good for you Saiyans?" She snarked; it wasn't the first time she had wanted to learn more about his race. However, ever since Beerus had shown up she had been prodding him to open up more about the history of his people. On issues such as these he would not budge.

"Come now Earth woman, don't you have any respect for my personal feelings?" He raised his voice.

"Your personal feelings? You've got to be joking right? Every time I want to know more about your past you shut me out like I'm nothing more than a naïve little school girl!" Bulma shouted.

"Look I know you want to learn, but I feel there are things that are best left unsaid." The Prince remained vigilant.

"What's with all of the hostility? I know about some of the bad shit you have done. Hell I still chose to have your kids knowing that you ordered your bodyguard to kill most of my friends! I deserve to know at least a little about what your race is all about!"

"Can't you just respect that I want you to have nothing to do with this? That dragon said I need to find my inner self. I feel it is best for me to go alone and be among my people. Learning what it really means to be a Saiyan again."

"Well then why won't you let Goku help you? I'm sure he'd be thrilled to fight and help train the next generation of Saiyans."

"Kakarot has already achieved his legacy. He has been recognized by even the biggest idiot as hero of the world. Not only that, but by beating Jiren he can claim the title of strongest in the multiverse! Besides with his annoying attitude I don't know what kind of trouble we would get in- "a knock on the door interrupted his monologue.

"Mom, dad sorry to interrupt, but Bulla is crying and I don't know how to make her stop." Trunks barged in looking like he had run over a deer.

"Babe we'll finish this talk later." Bulma said, walking over towards the baby's room.

"What were you guys talking about that has Mom pissed off?" Trunks asked.

"That is none of your concern Trunks. Shouldn't you be getting ready for school?" Vegeta replied.

"Well, yeah about that. See my school got blown up." Trunks said, rubbing his hand across his neck.

"Nice try boy, you've already used that excuse twice in the last week. There is no reason why you should want to skip your math exam. Unless of course you aren't prepared again."

"No, but this time it's real! Come look I'll show you." Trunks grabbed his dads hand and raced to the living room. Plastered on the television was Trunks' school, but up in flames. The flames were several stories tall, and had engulfed the area several times over.

"And that's not the only thing." Trunks pulled out his smartphone. "Someone captured this right before the explosion!"

"That looks like nothing more than a purple smudge. What did some kid spill his grape juice on his phone?" Vegeta squinted at the frame. The only possible reason was that either Champa or Lord Beerus had caused it. Why they would want to blow up a school on some backwater planet was a mystery all on its own.

"Yes, but father I have an app that lets me have a better resolution, and it can let me take a picture of an individual frame." Trunks pulled up the frame with the purple smudge. "You can clearly see that in this picture Lord Beerus himself is the one responsible for blowing up the school. Why he would want to is a mystery to me."

"Me and you both kid. Now why don't you go on to bed. And make sure you tell your mother that I have a meeting with that bastard of a cat."


End file.
